Otto Porter Trade Rumors: Mavericks Interested in Trading for Wizards Forward

The Dallas Mavericks "have expressed interest" in acquiring Washington Wizards forward Otto Porter Jr., The Athletic's Michael Scotto reported Tuesday.

According to Scotto, the Wizards are likely to "field several calls" for not only Porter but also Bradley Beal ahead of the Feb. 7 trade deadline.

The Wizards have tried to avoid a full-scale rebuild. Trading Kelly Oubre Jr. and Austin Rivers to the Phoenix Suns for Trevor Ariza was Washington's last major gambit to get the 2018-19 season back on track.

But a teardown might be inevitable for the Wizards after they confirmed John Wall will have surgery to address an Achilles injury. The procedure will leave Wall out for six to eight months.

Porter has one more year left on his deal before he's eligible for free agency. Now would be the time to trade the 25-year-old if general manager Ernie Grunfeld is prepared to look toward the future.

The Wizards could command a healthy return for Porter, though his $27.2 million salary for next year will keep the team from getting back a massive haul. In November, ESPN.com's Kevin Pelton ranked Porter as Washington's third-best trade asset behind Beal and Oubre.

Porter is averaging 11.7 points and 5.6 rebounds while shooting 36.8 percent from three-point range this season. He might also flourish after a change of scenery, considering he was a 44.1 percent three-point shooter in 2017-18. 

Porter's performance might improve once he doesn't have to deal with the general dysfunction throughout the Wizards organization, making him an attractive midseason target for teams in the playoff hunt.